The subject of this patent application relates generally to plant propagation, and more particularly to a plant propagation apparatus and associated methods of use for automating and optimizing the process of cutting, scraping and applying rooting hormone to plant stems.
Applicant hereby incorporates herein by reference any and all patents and published patent applications cited or referred to in this application.
By way of background, plant cutting, also known as cloning, is a technique for asexually propagating plants in which a piece of a source plant, such as a stem of the source plant, (i.e., a cutting) is placed in a suitable medium such as moist soil, potting mix, coir or rock wool. The cutting produces new roots, leaves and/or stems, and thus becomes a new plant independent of the parent. Since most plant cuttings will have no root system of their own at first, they are likely to die from dehydration if the proper conditions are not met with respect to the medium in which they are placed. In addition, the cutting needs to be taken correctly. To help promote the formation of roots, a rooting hormone can be applied to the cut tip of the cutting. Traditionally, this process involves several manual steps. First, after a cutting is selected and cut from the source plant, the stem is gently scraped (or scored) approximately four inches from a base of the cutting. A razor blade or other sharp cutting device is sterilized (such as in alcohol or phytosan, for example) and then used to make a clean slice at a 45 degree angle at precisely the bottom of the scraped (or scored) stem. The cut tip is then dipped into a gel containing rooting hormone up to the top of the scraped (or scored) area—which must be done quickly in order to avoid an embolism from forming in the cut tip. The cutting is then inserted into an appropriate medium while the roots form that will enable the plant to establish itself for cultivation. This traditional process of manual propagation suffers from a number of potential problems. First, the multi-step manual process can become laborious and time consuming when propagating multiple cuttings in succession. The traditional process can also introduce opportunities for pathogens and contamination of the cuttings. Additionally, the variable results due to the human element could lead to imprecise cuttings and wasted rooting hormone. Thus, there remains a need for a solution that automates and optimizes the process of cutting, scraping and applying rooting hormone to plant stems.
Aspects of the present invention fulfill these needs and provide further related advantages as described in the following summary.
It should be noted that the above background description includes information that may be useful in understanding aspects of the present invention. It is not an admission that any of the information provided herein is prior art or relevant to the presently claimed invention, or that any publication specifically or implicitly referenced is prior art.